He congratulated the Kedah-born footballer after he was announced as the winner of the prestigious award in Zurich, Switzerland on Monday (early Tuesday in Malaysia).

“Congratulations Faiz Subri on winning the FIFA PUSKAS Award 2016. Thank God, your hard work has paid off and brought glory for Malaysia,” he said in a Twitter feed.

The Malaysian footballer garnered 59.46 per cent of the votes to pip Brazil’s Johnath Marlone Azevedo da Silva (22.86 per cent of votes) and Venezuela’s woman player Daniuska Rodriguez (10.01 per cent) to the award, first won by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.

Mohd Faiz was the architect of what has been described as a physics-defying swerving goal against Pahang in the Malaysian Super League match on Feb 16, so spectacular that it catapulted him to international recognition.

The ball was heading towards one corner but ended up deceptively in the other, leaving the Pahang goalkeeper – and football fans – dumbfounded.

Supporters from all walks of life also took social media by storm seconds after the announcement to express their congratulations to Mohd Faiz.

They included Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan who said that no amount of congratulatory wishes could express a nation’s pride of his achievement.